On the morning of July 5, 2024, the Centre for Vietnam Youth Talent, Science and Technology (CYTAST) under the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee held the signing ceremony of a MoU between the University of Danang - Vietnam-Korea University of Information and Communication Technology (UD-VKU), and CYTAST. The MoU aims to enhance coordination in organizing activities for students nationwide during the period of 2024 – 2029.

An overview of the MoU Signing Ceremony between UD-VKU and CYTAST

Attending the signing ceremony were Mr. Nguyen Thien Tu, Director of CYTAST, and Ms. Tran Huong Thao, Deputy Director of CYTAST. From UD-VKU, there were Rector – Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Cong Phap; Dr. Tran The Son – Vice Rector; and the Head of Office of Science, Technology and International Cooperation.

Assoc. Prof. PhD. Huynh Cong Phap – Rector gave a speech to introduce and share Information about UD-VKU

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Cong Phap, Rector shared the achievements which UD- VKU has made in nearly 5 years since its establishment (since 2020). UD-VKU has aimed to enroll 1,500 students annually, with an average admission score of 24 points for 16 majors focusing on information technology, communication, and digital economy fields. Currently, UD-VKU has nearly 6,000 students and aims to reach 8,000 to 9,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students by 2025. The faculties consist of over 250 members, including nearly 70 with doctoral degrees or associate professors, accounting for nearly 45% of the total. Additionally, UD-VKU has focused on connecting and building a network of over 200 strategic partners, including domestic and international organizations and enterprises participating in the training process, job recruitment, sponsorship, and implementing cooperation training programs such as global bilingual training programs in English, Japanese, Korean, and others. UD-VKU has also held various activities and contests, international academic and cultural exchange programs, internships, and increased teaching in foreign languages, especially with 100% of students’ graduation theses written and presented in English. UD-VKU has hosted and organized numerous academic activities for students nationwide, including initiating and hosting the Informatics Olympiad in the Central – Central Highlands (held for 5 times) with thousands of participants from primary, secondary, and high schools from 63 provinces and cities. The 2024 competition saw significant success, with 15 students from the International Informatics Olympiad team ranking among the top 30 participants.

Since 2012, UD-VKU has initiated and hosted the Conference on Information Technology and its Applications (CITA). Over the past 12 years, CITA has built a strong reputation and maintained high-quality standards within both the national and international scientific communities. Particularly since 2023, CITA has evolved into an international scientific conference, with its proceedings published in the Lecture Notes in Network and Systems (LNNS) by Springer. These publications are indexed in prominent databases such as DBLP, Scopus, and Web of Science.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Cong Phap shared that the cooperation between UD-VKU and CYTAST will provide a significant opportunity to discover and develop talents in information technology, communication, and the digital economy for the country. This collaboration aims to achieve this through annual major competitions such as the Young Informatics Contest, Robotics, and activities in scientific research, technology transfer, entrepreneurship, and innovation among students nationwide.

Mr. Nguyen Thien Tu, Director of CYTAST, gave his speech at the signing ceremony

Mr. Nguyen Thien Tu, Director of CYTAST, expressed his joy and appreciation for UD-VKU’s achievements. He affirmed that the cooperation between the two sides would bring significant value in coordinating and implementing activities for students nationwide in the future. CYTAST, under the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, advises the Central Youth Union Secretariat on planning and developing programs in science, technology, and youth talent development. Mr. Nguyen Thien Tu hopes that the collaboration between UD-VKU and CYTAST will provide students with optimal learning and development opportunities in science, technology, and innovation, fostering a talented and creative young generation prepared to contribute to the country’s development.

Representatives from both sides signed the MoU to enhance cooperation in organizing activities for students nationwide during the period from 2024 to 2029

Accordingly, UD-VKU and CYTAST will focus on the following areas of cooperation in the upcoming period:

• Coordinating the annual Young Informatics Contest (Central Region Round, National Final Round if held in Da Nang), and supporting outstanding contestants in the national competition.
• Organizing creative contests, scientific research activities, and summer camps for students at designated times.
• Hosting the Global Vietnamese Intelligence Forum to build and connect a network of international young experts and scientists.
• Collaborating on communication to promote the image and activities of both parties.

 The signing ceremony concluded successfully, and both units will schedule specific meetings to facilitate the implementation of the agreements signed.